Sarsfields strike late to secure the spoils

Mullagh                2-12

SARSFIELDS secured a vital Group A win in the senior hurling championship on Saturday evening in Kenny Park as they fired over five of the last six scores to register a two-point win over Mullagh, whose hopes of reaching the knockout stages are now all but gone after their second defeat.

The victors played the better hurling for the majority of this enjoyable contest between two evenly matched sides, but somehow they were staring down the barrel of defeat with ten minutes to play after Mullagh’s Davy Glennon landed an inspirational score to put his side two to the good after a nip and tuck second half which saw the sides level on no fewer than eight occasions.

Glennon and Cathal Dervan were keeping Mullagh in it with some impressive shooting, while Sarsfields did themselves few favours by racking up 14 wides over the hour. Sarsfields also gifted Mullagh two first half goals by Dervan and Justin Gaynor, so there was a feeling that this just wasn’t going to be Sarsfields’ day as the game drew to a frenetic conclusion.

But when the need was greatest Sarsfields’ key performers Joseph Cooney, Noel Kelly, Kerrill Wade, Niall Morrissey, and Niall Quinn all stepped up to the plate and helped their side over the line. The tie was still in the balance when Dervan levelled it with a nerveless strike from halfway with three minutes left, but a Wade free and a superbly worked score from Morrissey in injury time ensured Sarsfields claimed the win.

Both sides had been defeated in their opening group games, Sarsfields narrowly losing to Loughrea while Mullagh suffered a surprise loss to Killimordaly, so both squads knew the importance of this fixture. A brace of long range frees from well inside his own half by Joseph Cooney gave Sarsfields the early advantage, but by the eighth minute they were three behind as a brace of Cathal Dervan frees were followed by Mullagh’s opening goal.

Dervan was again on the mark, profiting when a shot dropped short in front of the square and he took advantage of ‘keeper Ciarán Dolan’s hesitancy to nudge the sliotar over the line. Sarsfields continued to win the majority of the aerial duels, though, and were level by the 13th minute as Wade tapped over two frees and Éanna Dolan pointed after a surge from deep by Cathal Murray.

Full match report in this week's Connacht Tribune